Vacuum power unit



Jan. 26, 1965 w. J. KOHLER 3,166,988

VACUUM POWER UNIT Filed Feb. 20, 1.963 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR EG- ZJWLL/AM J KOHLEF? ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1965 w. J. KOHLER 3,166,988

VACUUM POWER UNIT Filed Feb. 20, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 39 25 43 37 v 3/49 48 29 7a 8 74 73 57 l 76\ V k I 7 l I: A I T I L63: 79 61 50 1 Q 7775i 50 l A 1N VENTOR.

WLL/AM 1/? KOHLEF? AT TORNEYS Jan. 26, 1965 w. J. KOHLER 3,166,988

VACUUM POWER UNIT Filed Feb. 20, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I NVENTOR.

WLL/AM 1f KOHLE}? Baa /%W4.%, Q

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,166,988 VACUUM PUWER UNlT Wiiliam J.Kohier, 1254 1st St. N, Fargo, N. i'lak. Fiied Feb. 2d, 1963, Ser. No.259,9tl 1 Ciaim. Ci. 91-347) This invention relates to a new and veryuseful penumatically operated diaphragm actuating device fordiaphragm-type pumps driven by an axially reciprocating drive shaft.

There are now commercially available small sized diaphragm-type pumpswhich are hand operated. These pumps are commonly used as portableinstallations for gas or fuel oil delivery, as from a small tank to atractor in the field or in construction work, and as stationaryinstallations for transferring aqueous or organic fluids from largestorage receptacles to portable tanks. However, so far as is known to methere is now available no conven ient means for operating suchdiaphragm-type pumps from sources of constant non-atmospheric pneumaticpressure, especially vacuum sources such as are conventionally availablefrom operating internal combustion engines.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a vacuum powerunit for coupling to a diaphragmtype pump to enable one to drive thepump from the vacuum intake of an internal combustion engine.

lit is another object of this invention to provide a combination of adiaphragm-type pneumatic motor and a reversing valve therefor enablingone to utilize a generally constant source of pneumatic pressure tooperate a diaphragm-type vacuum pump.

It is another object of this invention to provide a combination of adiaphragm pump and a power driven diaphragm operating or actuatingdevice therefor in which the diaphragm pump and the actuating device areconnected together for common movements by means of a single push andguide rod.

It is another object of this invention to provide a reversing valvehaving a rotary valve element mounted for rotary reciprocation within acylindrical chamber for use in a diaphragm actuating device.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent tothose skilled in the art from a consideration of the followingspecification taken together with the drawings wherein one preferredembodiment of the in vention is shown and described.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of a pneumaticallyoperated diaphragm actuating device of the invention in combination witha diaphragm-type vacuum pump, some parts thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the reversing valve mechanism usedin the embodiment of FIG 1 as viewed from top to bottom of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line s 5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the reversing valve mechanism used inthe embodiment of FIG. 1 with the cover plate removed, some partsthereof shown in section;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken along the line 77 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the valve elementreciprocated to a reverse position;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational View of the reversing valve mechanismviewed from bottom to top in FIG. 2 and greases showing the position ofthe crank arm immediately after valve reversal; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational View of the reversing valve mechanismviewed from bottom to top in FIG. 2 and showing the position of thecrank arm immediately after the valve has assumed the position shown inFIG. 8.

Turning to the drawings, there is seen in FIG. 1 a pneumaticallyoperated diaphragm actuating device of the invention, herein designatedin its entirety by the numeral 11, in combination with a conventionaldiaphragm-type vacuum pump, herein designated in its entirety by thenumeral 12.

As diaphragm-type vacuum pumps are commercially available and well-knownto those skilled in the art, no detailed description thereof is givenherein. However, it "will be appreciated that a diaphragm-type pump hasat least onetpressure compartment in which flexible diaphragm meansforms at least a portion of one wall thereof. This compartment isprovided with fluid inlet and discharge ports communicating therewithand valve means are associated with such ports. The inner end of a pumpdrive shaft is functionally associated with such diaphragm and the outerend portion of such pump drive shaft is adapted to axially reciprocate.Thus, when such drive shaft outer end portion is axially reciprocated,the diaphragm is caused to flexand thereby pump fluid through thedischarge ports from the compartment after the fluid has entered intothe compartment from the inlet ports.

The diaphragm actuating device 11 is seen to consist of a combination ofthree major components, a diaphragm unit 13, a reversing valve mechanism14, and a push and guide rod assembly 15.

The diaphragm unit 13 employs a pair of dish-shaped plates 16 and 17having their outer annular edges suitably connected together by bolt andnut connections 18. The plates 16 and 17 confine between them, aroundand within their circumferential edges, a diaphragm or flexible membrane19. The outer peripheral edges of diaphragm 19 are rigidly securedbetween the annular edges of the plates 16 and 17f The diaphragm 19 hasa central portion securely held between a pair of plates 20.

The inner end of the rod assembly 15 is secured to the plates 20 bymeans of a threaded stud 22 which is secured to one of the plates 20 andis threaded into the inner end of the rod assembly 15. The rod assembly15 is mounted for reciprocation axially on a bearing (not shown)suitably supported within a hub 21 formed integrally with dish-shapedplate 16.

The outer end portion of the rod assembly 15 is fitted with a fork 23.Fork 23 has a pair of axially aligned apertures, one defined in eachopposite end. One such aperture is adapted to receive the outer endportion of the rod assembly 15 and the other such aperture is adapted toreceive the outer end portion of the pump drive shaft 24. Conveniently,a set screw extends through the wall of each aperture in the fork 23 forfixing drive shaft 24 and rod assembly 15 in their respective associatedapertures. Thus, fork 23 interconnects the outer end portions,respectively, of drive shaft 24 and rod assembly 15 for common axialreciprocatory movements. The fork 23 further has a pair of aligned,axially spaced, radial projections 25. The opposed inner walls of eachprojection 25 are generally normal to the side of the fork 23.

In order to cause a generally constant source of pneumatic pressure toexert force first on one side of the diaphragm 19 and then on the otherside thereof so as to produce flexing motion and reciprocation of therod assembly 15, there is employed a reversing valve assembly ormechanism 14. The mechanics of the reversing valve can take anyparticular form but the embodiment of this invention as shown in thedrawings employs a ro- Patented Jan. 26, 1965 tary valve element 28 tocontrol the application of pneumatic pressure to opposite sides of thediaphragm 19 within the casing of the diaphragm unit 13.

The rotary valve element 28 is mounted for rotary reciprocation within acylindrical chamber 29 whereby to alternatively, separately connect eachone of a pair of pneumatic suction or pressure outlet ports 31 and 32with, respectively, a pneumatic suction or pressure inlet port 33 andthe other outlet port with either one of a pair of exhaust channels 34and 35.

The cylindrical chamber 29 is contained within a valve body 37 in whichare formed outlet port 31, outlet port 32, and inlet port 33. Theseports 31, 32 and 33 are circumferentially positioned about thecylindrical walls of cylindrical chamber 29 in spaced relationship toone another. The rotary valve element 28 itself is cylindrically shapedand has a valve shaft 38 axially extending from the inner face thereof.The outer face of the valve element 28 has a shoulder 39 integrallyformed along its outer perimeter (see FIG. 4). The shaft 38 isseparately formed and fits into an appropriately formed bore in theinner face of the valve element 28. The valve element 28 is free torotate independently of movements of the valve shaft 38. To effect thisarrangement, the upper end of the valve shaft 38 (referring to FIG. 4)is circumferentially grooved at 42 adjacent such end so that when thevalve shaft 38 is positioned in the aperture in the valve element 28,and a set screw 41 is turned in an appropriately threaded bore set atright angles to the aperture for the valve shaft 38, the tip of the setscrew 41 rides in the groove 42 but does not interfere with the freerotation of the valve shaft 38 with respect to the rotary valve element28. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any arrangement can beused here so long as the shaft 38 is free to independently revolve withrespect to the valve element 28.

Within the valve element 28 are defined channels 43 and 44. Channel 43diametrically extends through the valve element 28 while channel 44radially extends into the side of cylindrical valve element 28 to jointhe channel 44 in the axial region of the valve element 28. The includedangle between channels 43 and 44 is less than 90, and in order to form acontinuous passageway between the inlet port 33 and the outlet port 31,a suitable circumferentially extending groove or slot 45 is formed inthe valve element 28 in the Wall of the channel 43 on the side thereofaway from that adjacent the channel 44 so as to permit a continuouspassage to be formed in the valve element 28 between the inlet port 33and the outlet port 31 when the valve element 28 is appropriatelypositioned within the cylindrical chamber 29, as shown for example inFIG. 7. The valve element 28, as are the other parts of the reversingvalve mechanism 14, is preferably and conveniently formed of metal sothat, for example, the channels 43 and 44 and slot 45 are appropriatelyformed as by drilling and milling operations, respectively.

A pair of axially extending circumferentially spaced grooves 34 and 35are cut or formed in the cylindrical wall of the valve element 28 toform the respective exhaust ports 34 and 35 (the numbers 34 and 35 beingused herein to refer synonymously to the exhaust channel or the grooverepresenting the same). These ports or grooves 34 and 35 extend to andthrough the shoulder 39. Groove 35 is so positioned that, when thechannel 43 interconnects inlet port 33 with outlet port 32, the groove35 is centrally positioned or diametrically extends across the mouth ofoutlet port 31 (FIG. 8). Similarly, the groove 34 is so positioned that,when the channel 44 and the channel 43 with groove slot 45 interconnectthe inlet port 33 with the outlet port 31, the groove 34 is sopositioned as to diametrically extend across the mouth of outlet port 32(FIG. 7). With respect to the cylindricalside wall of valve element 28,it is convenient to form the slot 45, channels 43 and 44, and grooves 34and 35 at spaced intervals of 45 with respect to one another.

Interconnecting inlet port 33 with a source of pneumatic air pressure(not shown) is a pipe 46 having a screw-type coupling element 47 whichthreadedly engages the walls of inlet port 33. Interconnecting outletport 31 with chamber 51 of diaphragm unit 13 is a pipe 48 which isconnected to outlet port 31 by threaded couplings 49 and to chamber 51through dished plate 17 by means of a threaded coupling 50.interconnecting outlet port 32 with chamber 52 of diaphragm unit 13 is apipe 53. Pipe 53 is connected to the outlet port 32 by means of athreaded coupling 54 and to the disc shaped plate 16 by means ofthreaded coupling 55.

The constant source of pneumatic pressure can either be a vacuum orcompressed air or other gas; for example, a suitable source of vacuumpressure can be obtained from an internal combustion engine vacuumintake while a suitable source of compressed gas is a conventionalcylinder of carbon dioxide preferably fitted with a conventionalreduction valve.

It is also convenient to place the outlet ports 31 and 32 and the inletport 33 in the valve body 37 circum ferentially in the cylindricalchamber 29 at axially spaced intervals of about with respect to eachother.

The valve body 37 not only defines the cylindrical chamber 29 but alsoan enclosed chamber 57. The housing of chamber 57 is composed of agenerally tub-shaped recess (a casting or the like) and is designated bythe numeral 58 and which is formed integrally with the portion of thevalve body 37 forming the cylindrical chamber 29. The closure of chamber57 is effected by means of a plate 53 which fits over the peripheralside edges of the housing 58. The plate 59 is secured to the rim edgesof the housing 58 by means of machine bolts 65 which extends throughsuitable apertures in plate 59 into threaded bores formed in bosses 61,the bosses 61 being formed as thickenings in the side walls of housing58 at regularly spaced intervals.

To position and mount the valve element 28 in cylindrical chamber 29,the valve element 28 is positioned in the chamber with its attachedvalve shaft 38 extending through the housing 58. Then a retaining washer62 having an axially positioned bore slightly larger than the diameterof the shaft 38 is slipped over the shaft 38 against the under side ofthe valve element 28. Through apertures in the washer 62 extend a pairof threaded stop rods 63 and 83 which are also screwed into suitablyformed threaded bores in the bottom or base of the rotary valve element28. In this way common rotary reciprocatory movements of the washer 62and the rotary valve element 28 are provided. There is provided acircumferentially extending slot 64 (see FIG. 6) in the washer 62, thecircumferential distance of this slot 64 being chosen to correspond tothe desired number of degrees through which it is desired to have thevalve element 28 move during rotary reciprocation (in the embodimentshown, about 45). There is also mounted on the inside wall of valve body37 (within the enclosed chamber 57) a stop plug 65, as by press fittingthe stop plug 65 into a suitably formed and positioned recess or bore inthe valve body 37. Stop plug 65 rides in slot 64 as element 28reciprocates.

Next, over the shaft 38 is slipped a spacer washer 66 followed by theopen end of link 68, which is made fast to the shaft 38 as by means ofsuitable keying (not shown). Lastly, there is slipped over the shaft 38a second spacer washer 69.

The shaft 38, itself, is journalled in a hub 78 formed in the plate 59,the hub 70 being equipped with appropriate bearings 71.

A toggle joint, herein designated in its entirety by the numeral 73, isemployed in the diaphragm actuating device 11 as a valve actuating armwhich is spring biased,

This toggle joint 73 is seen to consist of a link 68, the open end ofwhich is fast on the shaft 38 as described, and a link 74 which will bedescribed below. Link 74, as a unit, has its open end pivotally mountedin the enclosed chamber 47 in the floor of the housing 5% adjacent oneof the side walls thereof.

The link 17%, itself, is telescopically extensible and retractable andis composed of a cylindrical portion 81 (whose outer end is adapted toreceive washer 79 and machine screw fed), and a rod portion 82 whichslidably engages the inside walls of cylindrical portion 551. Top-ivotally mount the link '74 to the floor of housing 58, there isprovided a thickened region 78 adjacent the side of the housing 58 asshown, for example, in FIG. 4. In this wall portion F8 a suitable boreis provided and this bore is threaded. A round-head machine screw has asuitable washer 7* slipped over its shank and then the machine screw 8bis slipped through an appropriate aperture in the end of the link 74,together with washer 7L and the screw fit; is turned into the threadedrecess in the second portion 78 to provide the desired pivotalconnection for fink i l with the valve body 37. The head or exposed endof rod portion 82 is broadened out and flattened and then provided withan appropriate port for reception of the rivet 75. Thus, link 74" andlink 68 are pivotaily joined together at their inner ends by rivet f5.Rivet 75' is held in place by a head portion 7e and a splitringconnector 77. To yieldingly bias the rod portion 82 and the cylindricalportion 81 in a position of maximum extension, a coiled compressionspring S7 is placed loosely and circumferentiaily about the link 74. Gneend of spring $37 is allowed to abut against the thickened portion 7Sand the other end against enlarged head region of rod portion 82.

Threaded stop rod 63 is so positioned that when the toggle joint '73 isin the position generally shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the rotary valveelement 28 is pivotally reciprocated about the axis of shaft 3% so as toconnect inlet port 33 with exhaust outlet port 32 through theappropriate above described channels in the rotary valve element 28.When in this position, observe that the stop plug 65 has moved in slot64 to a position where, in effect, the rotary valve element 28 is fixedor locked in position. On the other hand, when the toggle joint 73 ismoved to the posi- .tion shown generally by the dotted lines in FIG. 6,the link 68 contacts a second threaded stop rod 83 which reciprocallyrotates the rotary valve element 28 to a position where the inlet port33 is connected with the outlet port 31. In this position, the rotaryvalve element 28 is also looked in place by the stop plug 6d which hasnow moved along the slot 64 relative thereto so that the rotary valveelement 28 is, in effect, locked into this second or alternativeposition. Observe that this arrangement provides a prompt andsubstantially immediate (for purposes of the diaphragm actuating device11) change-over of connections between the inlet port and respectiveones of the outlet ports 31 and 32 with substantially no intermediate ortransition period. Such an arrangement is desirable in order to utilizethe maximum amount of power available from the flexing of the diaphragm19 in response to the changes of the reversing valve mechanism 14.

Diaphragm-type pump 12, diaphragm unit 13, and reversing valve mechanismIt maintain their desired relationship to each other through the use offour tubes $4. The size of the diaphragm unit 13 in the device if issuch that these tubes 34 are generally in spaced parallel relationshipto one another forming a general parallelogram configuration. Theprocedure is to extend a long bolt 3'5 through each tube $4 while thepump and the diaphragm unit are positioned at opposite ends of the longbolt. The tubes 34 then act as spacers so that when nuts 36 are added tothe long bolts the desired fixed relationship between pump 12 anddiaphragm unit 13 is maintained.

and 9).

' Positioned fast on the exposed end of shaft 38 is a crank. Thus, oneend of a crank anm SS is mounted on the exposed end of shaft 38 as bythe use of a conventional key or the like. The other end of the crankarm 88 is fitted with a crank pin 89 whose exposed end portion is formedinto a bearing 90. Pressure exerted laterally against the crank pin 89causes the shaft 88 to pivot and thereby move the toggle joint 73 fromone position to its alternative position, as discussed above, thuscausing the rotary valve element 23 to change pneumatic pressure fromone side of diaphragm 19 to the other.

Since the bearing 90 of crank pin 89 is to be positioned forreciprocatory movements between the projections 25 of fork 23, there isprovided on the valve body 37 a pair of bosses 92, each outwardlyoppositely extending from long sides of the valve body 37. Each boss hasa suitably formed aperture therein for positioning the vaive body 37between a pair of tubes 84, the tubes passing through the aperture ineach boss 92.

In assembling the device 11, the crank pin bearing 953 is positionedbetween the projections 25 of fork 23 by means of the bosses 92 in sucha manner that when the diaphragm 19 is moved to the left (as seen inFIG. 1) until the crank arm has its crank pin 89 resting against theright projection 25; then the toggle joint "73 is generally in theposition shown in FIG. 6.

Briefly, the operation of the diaphragm actuating device 11, whenoperated from a source of vacuum, is as follows: When the device 11 isduly coupled, as described, by means of the fork 23 to the drive shaft24 of a diaphragm-type pump 12 and the source of vacuum is admitted tothe pipe 46, as shown in FTGS. l and 9, suction is exerted through thepipe 48, since the valve is initially in the position shown generally inFIG. 7. This suction causes the rod 15 to recipronate to the right bypulling the diaphragm 19 to the right (see FIGS. 1 Air is introducedthrough exhaust port 34 to allow the diaphragm 19 to flex. When thediaphragm 19 moves through its neutral position, the left projection 25(see FIGS. 1 and 9) engages bearing 90 of crank pin 8% and rotates theshaft 28 clockwise until the edge or side of link 68 abuts against stoppin 83. As diaphragm 19 reaches a position of maximum flex (to the rightas seen in FIG. 1), the toggle joint 73 passes over center and causesvalve element 28 to rotate to the position shown in FIG. 8. Rotation ofvalve 28 is limited by two stops 63 or 83 and d5 so channel 43 willinterconnect hose 46 with hose 53. Vacuum is applied to pipe 41 throughchannel 43 to pipe 53 causing diaphragm 19 to move to the left and thewhole cycle is reversed.

The operation of the device with compressed air is the same as withvacuum except that the two hoses 48 and 5'3 must be reversed in theirconnections to the diaphragm unit 13.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completelysatisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects, and while Ihave shown and described a preferred embodiment, I wish it to bespecifically understood that the same is capable of modification withoutdepar-ture from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A fluid operated motor having a reciprocating drive shaft, and furthercomprising:

(a) a diaphragm unit including a casing and a flexible diaphragmdividing said casing into two chambers,

(5) rod means journalled for axial reciprocation in said casing andoperatively interconnecting said diaphragm with said drive shaft wherebysaid diaphragm and said drive shaft are adapted to reciprocate inunison,

(c) a reversing valve including a housing and a valve element mountedtherein for limited rotary reciprocatory movements alternatively inopposite directions, said housing defining a chamber for said valveelement, an inlet port, exhaust port means, and a pair of outlet ports,and with all of said ports and port means communicating with saidchamber,

(d) said valve element being disposed within said housing whereby uponrotary reciprocation, said valve element is moved between a firstposition wherein one of said outlet ports is connected with said inletport and the other is connected with said exhaust port means and asecond position wherein the other of said outlet ports is connected withsaid inlet port and said one thereof is connected with said exhaust portmeans,

(6) said outlet ports each communicating with a different one of saiddiaphragm chambers for driving said diaphragm and said shaft upon theintroduction of fluid alternately into said diaphragm chambers, and

(f) a valve actuating assembly including a connection operativelyassociated with said valve element imparting said reversing movements tosaid valve element responsive to axial reciprocatory movements of saidrod means, said valve actuating assembly further comprises:

(1) a shaft extending from said valve element in an axial direction withrespect to the axis of rotary reciprocation of said valve element,

(2) a crank arm secured to said shaft and having a crank pin operativelyconnected with said rod means whereby rotary reciprocatory movement 8 isimparted to said shaft upon reciprocation of said rod means,

(3) a toggle joint having a pair of pivotally connected link elementsone of which is secured on said shaft and the other of which istelescopically extensible and retractable and is also pivotallyconnected to said valve housing, said toggle joint including meansbiasing said other link element toward an extended condition and alsobiasing said one link element to one or the other of two angularlyspaced positions about said shaft and on opposite sides of alongitudinal alignment of said link elements, and

(4) means connecting said shaft to said valve element so as to impartsaid rotary reciprocation to said valve element between its first andsecond positions upon rotation of said shaft by said crank arm and uponthe biasing of said one link element of said toggle joint into one orthe other of its said angularly spaced positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/15 Meiluk91-345 8/37 De Motte 91 347 6 /54 Hein 103452 LAURENCE V. EFNER, PrimaryExaminer.

WARREN E.. COLEMAN, Examiner.

